Weekly expositor. (Brockway Centre, Mich.) 1882-1894, 1887-05-12
CHAPTER XVI.
"DRINEN TO BAY"

~ am glad" said Captain Este. SIN
all the weary years to come this will
comfort me. shall be a better man
and better soldier for knowing that |
have Won the love of a beautiful, inno-
cent girl. 1t is not yours to give now,
my darling, nor would | take it from
you, knowing that it Is another's; but
the one comfort of my life will be to
know that you have cared for me! 1t
will not hurt US now to speak. 1t is
the first and the last time, Tor Margue-
rite, now that know the terrible, beau
tiful truth that we love each other, |
shall never come back again. My first
care will be your honor; my next my
own! shall never come back. Those
who love the danger must perish in 1t,
and there shall be no danger for you,
my darling! 1t seems very natural that
we should have learned to love each
other, does it not?"
II am afraid So" she replied; ''but |
did not know did not indeed,
Darcy"
II am sure of it, my darling" he said.
"The,e is no harm done-only life
long sorrow, lifelong pleasure, and
lifelong regret; but there is no stain
of dishonor or disloyalty, for in this, the
hour in which we know the secret of
our love, we part forever"
"Yes forever" she repeated, with
long-drawn, bitter sigh.
at might have been different" he
said. "If 1 had met you before you saw
Lord Stair we should have loved each
other, and should have been happy to-
gether all our lives; but it was not so,
and we must be content. You would
have been the one woman out of all the
world to NE" he added.
"And you the one man from the
whole world for me-" she answered.
"Now that honor parts US, we must
part" said Captain Este; "but oh,
Marguerite, it is worse an death
worse. more bitter, than DEATH"
ut is DEATH" she said in low voice,
and then once more he drew her in his
arms.
"Only one minute, my darling" he
said, and she lay passive, her head on
his breast, while he rained passionate
kisses and tears on her face.
sit is farewell" he said, in voice
broken by sobs, "Oh, love, who might
have been mine, good-bye!"
Still his arms held her; she raised her
white, desparing face to his and kissed
him.
s'Now leave me- she said. "Lay me
down here on the grass, can not stand,
the earth, the sky, the trees are whirling
round me. / could not stand Lay me
down on the grass, and leave me to die.
Oh my love, good-bye!"
For the last time he kissed the CULVER
ing lips.
II can not leave you So" he said,
"Let me take you home again."
mo; | will kneel here and rest against
the stile, while l watch you CO."
He unfastened the tender arms laid
round his neck, sobbing the while like
child.
81 shall die no more bitter death
than this he said,
He laid the tender arms on the old
wooden stlle, crying out the while that
he would always love her-love her
until he died. crying out for Heaven to
bless her, and send her comfort. He
saw the white face fall on the closed
hands, and then he left her.
I He turned once and saw the wistful.
desolate gaze of the beautiful eyes: saw
the white hands outstretched to him,
and 1t was by the grace of Heaven alone
that he did not return. He took with
him the memory ola fair white face
full Of anguish, and 1t was with him
when he died.
The bare, leafless trees shut him out
OF her sight, and then what little
courage and strength she had died
suddenly. She fell with her face on
ne withered grass; she watered the
arth with her tears. She wept as few
women weep-and live.
How time passed she never knew in
that whirl Of agony and pain, whether
1t was minute, an hour, or day, she
did not know. A terrible voice aroused
her, the voice of the only enemy she
had on earth.
"You shameless woman" cried the
angry voice, ''weeping so loudly for
your lover that all the countryside can
hear you. Get up, and keep the rest of
your tears for yourself, you will need
them"
"I need them now," sobbed Lady
Stair; sense Of utter, helpless desola-
ton came over her, and he who would
have protected her, who would have
espoused her cause, was gone.